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A comprehensive estate plan includes understanding what steps will be required when you or your spouse dies. Tax planning advantages and the intended distribution of wealth to your loved ones takes place in stages and certain opportunities will be lost unless the proper plan is in effect when the first spouse passes away. This posting describes what steps are necessary after the first death. Next week’s posting will describe how a comprehensive plan works through the life of a couple, the death of a spouse, and finally the death of the surviving spouse.

The estates of the first spouse to die often avoid probate. Unless properly planned, the ease of the first transition may lull loved ones into a false sense of comfort that may surprise them upon the second death. This may be especially true since 1/1/2011 when the new concept of “portability” was introduced allowing properly administered estates less than 10 million dollars to avoid estate taxes altogether.

Even with lack of proper planning many spouses may avoid an estate administration if the value of their estate is less than 10 million dollars. Real property and accounts may be in joint tenancy or community property with rights of survivorship and life insurance, annuities, and retirement accounts may designate the surviving spouse as the death beneficiary and the surviving spouse may do nothing because there just doesn’t seem to be a need for it – the surviving spouse has complete access to everything and may not appreciate the need to administer those assets.

The recording of a death certificate and notification of the custodians of any policies, contracts, or accounts may be sufficient for the surviving spouse to gain control over all those assets. Yet a gaping hole has been created unless the surviving spouse takes care to name new beneficiaries of retirement accounts that are retitled in the surviving spouse’s name (a “spousal rollover”) and have a Will or Trust which designates who inherits upon the death of the surviving spouse. If the decedent has begun taking minimum required distributions, a minimum required distribution must be taken in the year the decedent dies, if none has already been taken. There are substantial penalties for failing to take that minimum required distribution. Taxes must be paid on the distributions taken either by the decedent or the beneficiary.

Failing to record a death certificate may cause delay later when trying to sell or transfer the property after a second death.

Accessing accounts after the second death when the first decedent’s name has not been removed may also cause delay and unnecessary expense.

In order to claim the benefits of “portability,” a timely estate tax return must be filed even if no tax is due. This will be particularly important if the estate tax exemption amount returns to $1,000,000 on 1/1/2013 as is presently projected.

Failing to establish the credit shelter trust provided for in most good estate plans may be an expensive mistake. It is a mistake of good faith if only estate taxation is considered, but other considerations such as how the children of blended families are treated or how the assets are protected from creditors are non-tax reasons to be concerned about the AB division in addition to the lawful avoidance of estate tax.

I recommend a legal checkup after any death just to be sure loved ones have good advice and guidance about how to proceed. I like to create a customized checklist for the family of every decedent so they know when the administration of the estate is complete.

If you or a friend wants help understanding the legal process either before or after death, please call me.

Last week I mentioned joint tenancy bank accounts as being a simple, but potentially dangerous way to provide for a transition of bank accounts. It is a commonly used technique because it is simple and is the favored way for bankers and investment advisors to administrative your accounts with the least amount of effort for them.

It is another example of my “broken clock” philosophy. It is right twice a day. When it works it is very simple and economical, but when it fails, it falls with a loud “thud” and can be very expensive, especially when you are aware of the other almost as simple and cost effective methods you could use.

About 12 years ago, I wrote a brief explanation of these problems from the perspective of the wealth transfer system. Those 6 reasons remain valuable today, but I have rearranged the order of importance to take into consideration the different considerations which I believe almost everyone will face based on today’s different challenges.

In summary, using joint tenancy, may expose your assets to the liabilities of your joint tenant, accounts may be at risk because the joint tenant has control over the account without a corresponding fiduciary duty, you may unwittingly incur the costs of an unwanted probate proceeding, you may suffer an adverse income tax result, you may suffer an adverse estate tax result, your property may not pass to your descendants as you intended, and you may have created an avoidable risk from accidental creditors.

Here are the 6 tragic adverse, but avoidable, consequences you and your family may suffer if you rely on joint tenancy:

1. Joint tenancy accounts with adult child or caretaker subjects you to expensive and potentially devastating resultsand the loss of the asset. Joint tenancy property is fair game for creditors of your joint tenant. Although you may have an opportunity to prove the property was placed into joint tenancy for convenience and that the property really does not belong to the debtor, you are exposed to litigation and the expense and uncertainty that are litigation’s natural results. You are also susceptible to the joint tenant misusing the property or not sharing the property with his or her siblings as you intended.

2. Joint tenancy will avoid probate for the first spouse, but not the second. In fact it assures that there will be a public probate proceeding when the surviving spouse dies.

3. If the asset is real property or an investment account, joint tenancy will also cause the estate to lose the double step-up in basis afforded to community property assets. This is a significant loss resulting in additional capital gains taxes if the asset is sold by the surviving spouse

4. A joint tenant has no control over what happens to the property after death. A surviving joint tenant can sell or transfer the property, or can pass it to the survivor’s choice of heirs, including subsequent spouses. Joint tenancy deprives you from assuring that your property stays in your bloodline. Without any further planning, property owned by a surviving joint tenant will pass automatically to the heirs of the survivor. If the survivor’s heirs are not the same as the decedent’s this could lead to an unintended result

5. No creditor protection is available when property passes by joint tenancy. Creditors come in many shapes and sizes these days. Jury verdicts in even the most common accidents easily exceed insurance limits. Aging survivors are more susceptible to lapses of concentration while driving or otherwise. Why unnecessarily expose all of the survivor’s assets to creditors when a trust can provide creditor protection to your spouse or your descendants? This is valuable protection that can not be purchased at any price if you miss the planning opportunity of placing your accounts into a trust that will be irrevocable when the first spouse dies.

6. No estate tax protection for post-death appreciation is available if joint tenancy is used. Although the asset will pass to your spouse estate tax free; upon the death of the survivor, the entire estate is exposed to estate taxes and the estate tax exemption available to the first decedent is lost unless you have planned for a credit shelter trust or file an estate tax return and claim the “portability” carryover exemption. If your combined estate, including life insurance is likely to exceed $5,000,000 (or $1,000,000 if the law is not changed before the end of 2012), then you have unnecessarily benefitted the government at the expense of your descendants. This could be a mistake that could cost you 55% of the value of your estate in excess of $1,000,000.

I encourage you to take the time to consider whether joint tenancy is a viable strategy for you. You may be the broken clock that is right twice a day, by why take that risk relying on a do-it-yourself approach to a complicated issue. Call me to help you sort through what plan is best for you.

Planning for incapacity involves understanding how incapacity might occur and a commitment to having a current plan.

Often considered crucial only for end of life planning or for diminished capacity, dementia, or Alzheimer’s Disease, planning is most important if you become incapacitated due to an accident, injury, disease, or other medical condition. As with all modern planning, the plan must be flexible enough so that if implemented tomorrow, it will be effective for many years. A common mistake is assuming that the plan will not be implemented for years to come.

The key for all planning is give adequate thought to how you and your family will react in a variety of situations.

A discussion with your spouse and loved ones about how you want to be cared for is better than any document you can sign for assuring dignified treatment consistent with your values and intentions, but the document is what expresses those values and intentions.

Your health care power of attorney (HCPOA) should name at least a primary person, usually your spouse, and one or more secondary people who are aware of your personal opinions about how and when you want health care and medical procedures delivered to you. My preference is that the document be open ended and give the broadest possible authority to the agent you name. The Arizona statutory form may be sufficient for some people and can be viewed and downloaded by clicking on this link, Arizona standard form, which will take you to the Arizona Attorney General’s website.

In addition to the HCPOA, should decide what are your end of life instructions and incorporate them into a living will. The statutory form can also be downloaded at the Attorney General’s website, but it is somewhat less useful and more confusing because of the many options allowed. I recommend that you discuss your end of life intentions with your loved ones to be sure everyone likely to be involved knows how you feel about life and dying. I use a very simple form that plainly and unambiguously declares your end of life intentions.

In addition to these important decisions, you should consider who you want to make decisions for you if you are unable to make them for yourself because of a mental defect which might be dementia, Alzheimer’s, alcoholism, or other form of diminished capacity. It will be no surprise that I believe it is more important who you select to make the decision and the authority given them than trying to make specific declarations for someone to follow. The greatest flexibility translates to the best possible decision making, but your values and intentions must be known to the person you name. Although you might accomplish that within the document, it is best if you have discussions extending over a period of time to make your values and intentions clearly known.

After assuring that all your health and medical needs are addressed, you must consider who will act for you to pay your bills and make your financial decisions. Often, those acts will be performed by your co-trustee if you have a spouse or by an adult child who is already named as a co-trustee, but if you don’t have a co-trustee, you need a good mechanism for determining when a successor trustee under a trust or an agent under a general durable power of attorney will be able to act. If the persons named by you to act are absolutely trusted, the appointment may be immediately effective. If you want the appointment to be effective only if you are incapacitated, then the document must provide that the power “springs” into being only if you are incapacitated and you must provide a method for determining when that event occurs. A common mistake is naming another person, usually a son or daughter, as a co-owner of your accounts so they can write checks in an emergency. Despite the convenience, that is often a mistake because of the potential for problems I will explain next time.

If you would like a more in depth discussion of your planning needs, please call me. My number is (480)945-1931.

Mark Bregman

Posted in Estate Planning on January 24th, 2012 · Comments Off on Planning for Incapacity

In this fourth installment, I describe how to approach wealth transition planning and why you need to overcome fear of mortality, lack of time, and all the other good excuses to complete your planning now.

This is the last of the introductory posts and next week, I will describe planning for incapacity in greater detail.

I divide wealth transition planning into 2 categories, estate tax planning for large estates and family issues for estates of any size.

Estate Tax Planning. Through the end of 2012, estates up to $5 million will pass to the next generation without being subject to federal estate taxes. Estates of married couples who follow appropriate administrative strategies after the first death may double the exempt amount up to $10 million. The exemption can be used in any combination of gift or estate tax exemption to accommodate lifetime or post-mortem planning. There is no death tax levied by the state of Arizona.

However, estates of decedents dying after 12/31/2012 will be subject to federal estate tax after a $1 million exemption and advanced planning is necessary if you want to reduce the amount of money paid in federal estate taxes.

Judge Learned Hand said “Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes. Over and over again the Courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everyone
does it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands.”

There are many strategies to reduce the incidence of estate taxes, beginning with preserving the exemption of each spouse and escalating through significantly more involved strategies using outright gifts, family limited partnerships, irrevocable trusts and charitable giving, all of which have in common the giving up control over some of your money in order to preserve more of it for your descendants. Estate tax planning is unique to each individual family and depends on the nature and value of your assets. In conjunction with the best lawyers in their fields, I tailor advanced plans for each client who intend to reduce their estate taxes.

Family Estate Planning involves more than listing your children. It involves a careful examination of the relationships between your spouse, your children and other people dependent upon you for support and the development of a plan that will be currently effective and also last for the lifetime of one or more generations to follow. Accurately identifying family dynamics and carefully choosing who will be in charge of and how your wealth will be used, even for modest estates, is an important process that goes beyond simply choosing who will serve as trustee for your children until they reach a certain age. Failing to adequately consider family dynamics and incorporating the impact of life insurance and qualified plan beneficiary designations into your overall planning often leads to destructive disagreements among your loved ones and can be avoided with a thoughtful examination and periodic re-examination of such issues. I guide my clients through that process, suggesting potential pitfalls and possible solutions.

Every estate plan should include both estate taxes, family dynamics, and the proper titling of accounts and beneficiary designations. All such planning should be coordinated with your financial advisor to assure you have taken care of yourself first.

Next time I will describe incapacity planning in greater detail.

If I can help you or anyone you know, I welcome you call.

Posted in Estate Planning on January 10th, 2012 · Comments Off on The Continuing Series on the Complete Guide to estate Planning – Part 4 – Wealth Transition

Warning – The following are general comments for educational purposes and not intended as legal advice. No client attorney relationship is intended and you should consult an attorney about your specific circumstances before taking any action in reliance on the general information presented in this posting.

This is the third part of the life time planning posting. It describes the types of documents and the role players you will need to be “well planned.” Next time, I will focus on why planning for wealth transition is important – for large taxable estates and especially for small non-taxable estates where the costs of not planning can have a bigger impact on your loved ones.

You must decide who will act for you in 6 different situations. Four of those roles will be acted out during your lifetime.

Agent(s) under your Health Care Power of Attorney. You must decide if you are unable to make informed medical decisions who will make those decisions for you. You should choose at least one contingent choice if your primary choice is not available. I do not recommend choosing multiple agents to act at the same time because there should be a clear chain of authority to whom medical providers can look for a decision. Your decision maker may consult others, but that authority is not usually written into the grant of authority.

You may specify that certain actions be taken or withheld, but the most useful process is to appoint someone who knows you and your intentions. Too many rules may be confusing rather than helpful.

Agent(s) under your Mental Health Power of Attorney. In addition to a general health care power of attorney, Arizonans use a mental health power of attorney that may be incorporated into your health care power of attorney or be set forth in a separate document. The mental health power of attorney authorizes your agent to admit you to a “level one behavioral health facility” which is a facility where the doors are locked and you may be restrained if necessary. These facilities are for persons with advanced dementia or Alzheimer’s disease and for younger persons with drug, alcohol, or behavioral conditions. The mental health power of attorney is only effective if the person is unable to make an informed decision about an admission. Without the mental health power of attorney, you may still be admitted to such a facility, but the facility must release you unless the responsible person has obtained a temporary or permanent guardianship within 48 hours. The legal process for obtaining such emergency relief is expensive and most client opt to grant mental health authority to their agents.

A Living Will does not require an actor or role player because it is a declaration of your intention. You must decide how you perceive your own end of life. Do you want to let go when the doctors say there is no possibility of continuing meaningful life. The relevant medical legal terms are “persistent vegetative state,” “irreversible coma,” or “terminal illness” and the decision of whether you’ve reached one of those stages will be made by the physicians who are attending you or anyone you specify. The living will is a declaration of your intent that when it is time, you are content to let nature take its course without the application of heroic measures to continue your life in a diminished state because medical science can. Compare the difference between a declaration of your intent, with the directives in the powers of attorneys that appoint someone to make decisions for you.

A Living Will should not be confused with a “DNR” or “do not resuscitate” direction which in Arizona must be printed on an orange background, use specific words, and be countersigned by a consulting physician. If you have the orange form, you may also wear jewelry with the notification. This will give notice to all who read it that you do not desire to be revived if you stop breathing. The DNR is seldom used except in the most dire end of life circumstances.

We can provide living wills that are specific to particular religious beliefs and allow your religious leader to participate in the decision if you desire such participation.

Agent(s) for your Financial Powers of Attorney. Financial Powers of Attorney can be useless or indispensable depending on your need at a particular time. A power of attorney will often be a frustratingly useless document because in Arizona there is no law requiring a third party to honor it and as a consequence, most banks will not honor it unless it meets very stringent requirements including being of relatively recent (less than a year, sometimes six months) vintage and often a bank will require that it be on their own approved form.

The problems with banks are usually overcome because your account can be held in joint ownership with your spouse and you can assure access to your accounts if you are unable to write your own checks by having your account card at the bank indicate an agent or POA. This is different than a co-owner or a POD and often the bank employee must be educated about their own form, but every account card allows such a designation.

However, a power of attorney will be indispensable for appointing an agent to deal with the Internal Revenue Service, to deal with the Social Security Administration, to deal with insurance companies, including health and long term care insurers and issuers of annuity contract, the Post Office, custodians of retirement accounts, and numerous other third parties.

Typically your spouse is your first named agent, but you must give consideration to alternates if your spouse is not able to act. Without a valid and acceptable power of attorney, your care givers may have to seek a judicial appointment as your conservator in order to act on you behalf. You should give careful consideration to whom you select to act on your behalf because the agent must be able to exercise good judgment for your benefit without any thought to there own benefit.

If you have a trust, you may have a Disability Panel which are the people you trust to make the decision whether you are incapacitated to the point of needing your successor trustee to assume control of your trust assets. Our disability panels can act either by majority or unanimous vote depending on the make up of your panel and the panel is usually encouraged to seek the advice of your treating physician.

Often, the same people will act in several roles, but each role is unique. If you give some thought to who you want to act for you in different situations, the planning of your estate will be easier and more complete.

Next time, I will explain basic estate financial and wealth transition planning while you are alive and well. Thanks for reading and please call me if you would like a personal consultation about your emergency planning or wealth transition concerns.

Posted in Estate Planning on January 3rd, 2012 · Comments Off on The Continuing Series on The Complete Guide to Estate Planning – Part 3

This is part 2 of a continuing series that began last week with an introductory syllabus. Today’s post about the importance of planning while you are alive and well is the first of a 3 part explanation of lifetime planning describing the issues you must consider. Part 2 will focus on emergency documents and the role players you will need to consider. Part 3 will describe why you must do wealth transition planning while you are alive and well, even if you think you have a small estate.

It is often said that barriers to estate planning include no one likes to think about their own demise or that there will always be time later to plan. Many people mistakenly believe they don’t have enough money to plan or that in one form or another they are already “well planned” either because they believe their children will be able to “divvy” up their assets without a problem, they have a suitable Will, or their assets will all pass by operation of law through a beneficiary designation, right of survivorship, or otherwise. It is not my intention to convince you that you need sophisticated planning, but I do believe many people underestimate the value of planning in several important regards.

First everyone should understand the emergency plans provided by state law. If you have not intentionally created a plan by obtaining a financial power of attorney, a health care power, a living will, and a designated HIPAA recipients, your plan may go awry at the worst time. Some folks believe joint accounts, PODs, and beneficiary designations are sufficient to transfer their assets in accordance with their intentions. But you may be incapacitated as the result of an accident or an end of life illness when decisions must be made about your care and bills must continue to be paid.

A joint account may solve the problem of paying your bills, but who will make health care decisions for you if you are not able to make them for yourself and more importantly, who will the medical providers talk to about your condition? State law provides a priority that includes your spouse and then your adult children and then others interested in your welfare to give informed medical consent, but it does not prioritize among persons of the same order, i.e., all children have an equal right to make the decisions for you.

There is no state law that will allow access to your financial accounts or permit you to be placed in a suitable facility without first going through a protracted and costly judicial proceeding if you do not have written directions signed and witnessed in accordance with law. Most importantly without a validly executed living will, your loved ones and medical providers will be uncertain of your end of life instructions. As a consequence, you and your family may endure serious great discomfort and emotional distress.

In the last installment of this extended series, I will describe the havoc wreaked by do-it-yourselfers who try to solve these issues for themselves by finding a false sense of security in using “standard” forms found online or in your state’s statutes without proper legal supervision.

Next time I will describe the pertinent questions to ask yourself in preparing to meet with your attorney for this important process. In the meantime, make your new year’s resolution to become “well planned” as the lasting gift you leave for your loved ones. Call me if I can help.

Posted in Estate Planning on December 19th, 2011 · Comments Off on The Continuing Series on The Complete Guide to Estate Planning

Welcome to a new multi-part serial presentation of what effective estate planning looks like.

Because many common estate planning issues are best handled using a trust based estate plan whose centerpiece is a revocable living trust, trust planning has become common place. Nevertheless, many people new to estate planning begin with commonly held misconceptions. Chief among those misconceptions are the beliefs that:

The decision to use a revocable living trust is based upon how much money you have;

Most estates will be subject to death taxes; and

Probate is an expensive process to be avoided above all else.

Under the constant bombardment of marketing pitches from seemingly impeccable sources, these fears are fed by myths which I will dispel in the following series of blogs. I will explain important issues in estate planning in a logical rather than fear based environment. I hope you find this information helpful.

A useful definition of estate planning is I want to control my assets while I am alive and well, and pass what I own, to whom I want, when I want, how I want, all at the lowest possible overall cost. Every part of this definition is incorporated into each plan I create, but the first step is learning what you are up against. The following topics will be covered in the order in which they will occur in the course of your life and death:

Planning While Alive and Well;

Planning for Incapacity;

Planning for After the First Death; and

Planning for Wealth Transfer to Descendants.

Values Legacy

Why Do-It-Yourself Planning using Forms Can Be Expensive

I will describe the questions you need to answer; I won’t answer the questions for you. I intend to provide you a useful framework for your discussion with me or your own estate planner.

If there are additional topics you would like to see in more depth, post a comment and we’ll get to it.

Subscribe to my blog to automatically receive future posts in this series and other estate planning topics.

Posted in Estate Planning on December 12th, 2011 · Comments Off on Introduction to Arizona Estate Planning

We don’t know when, but we do know estate and gift tax reform is coming sometimes in the next 13 months. There are almost as many plans as there are Senators, but one of the most comprehensive and regressive is The “Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2011” introduced November 17, 2011 by Congressman Jim McDermott (D- WA) which contains the following provisions.

Estate Tax Exclusion Amount Would be Reduced to $1,000,000 With Top Tax Rate of 55%

Under the bill, the estate tax exclusion amount would be reduced to $1 million for decedents dying after December 31, 2011. The $1 million exclusion amount would be indexed for inflation from 2000 for decedents dying after 2012. The top estate tax rate would be 55%, and the graduated amounts subject to the rate schedule would also be indexed for inflation. The bill includes provisions designed to coordinate with the gift tax to reflect the decrease in the applicable credit amount.

“Portability” Would be Made Permanent

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (the “2010 Act”) allows portability of estate and gift tax exemptions between spouses. However, portability under the 2010 Act applies only through December 31, 2012.

Rules on Valuation Discounts and Minority Interest Discounts Would be Modified
The proposal includes valuation rules for certain transfers of nonbusiness assets (defined as an asset which is not used in the active conduct of 1 or more trades or businesses), including:

in the case of the transfer of an interest in an entity which is not actively traded, no valuation discount would be allowed with respect to “nonbusiness assets”; and

in the case of the transfer of an interest in an entity which is not actively traded, no discount would be allowed by reason of the fact that the transferee does not have control of the entity if the transferee and the transferee’s family members have control of the entity.

There would be other changes to the rules for GRATs and limitations on the limits of GST exemptions.

While no one expects that bill to pass, it is certain that elements of it will be part of the discussion and the only thing that is certain is that the new rules will be geared toward capturing some of the enormous wealth transfers expected to take place as baby boomers age and die.

Anyone with an estate greater than a million dollars may be subject to estate taxes unless proper planning is implemented.

I have a formal 14 step process designed to protect my clients’ estates and their families from estate taxes, creditors, spouses, and spendthrift habits. We can implement this process for you, your loved ones, or your friends. Call me if you want to find out how.

Because emergency documents are prepared and intended to be used prospectively, it is crucial that each document reflect your intention, be properly signed and attested, and written in clear language that will be understood by the third party provider to whom it is presented for the purpose of inducing that third party provider to act in accordance with your intentions.

Authorizing someone to make health care related and medical decisions for you is an important decision. Most estate planners will provide their clients health care powers of attorneys and living wills when drafting a Will or a trust, but the importance of the decision is often lost in the tsunami of other decisions clients must make when creating an estate plan. Recognize the importance of including health care, medical emergency, and end of life planning into your overall plan to lead a purposeful life.

In my opinion, focusing on WHO will act is most important. HOW your Agent will act is also important, but except in unique circumstances, it more important to impart your personal philosophy of how you would act, rather than trying to master a list of different possibilities and making specific choices about each. I have a fanatical devotion about paying attention to the big picture borne from a belief that if you have developed an all-inclusive outlook, your Agent will make the decision that best suits your intentions.

A good plan is not about documents, but about philosophy and intentions. The documents should assure that the plan is implemented as intended.

All documents that delegate authority to another should include a specific provision allowing the Agent to act as the maker’s “personal representative” under the federal HIPAA rules.

Health care planning may include the following documents –

A Health Care Power of Attorney which appoints the person or persons to make health care decisions for you if you are not able to make them for yourself. In addition to naming the person or persons to act, the document may indicate what actions are to be taken in specific circumstances. Focusing on specific circumstances may be useful if there is a great likelihood that the specific circumstance will occur, but otherwise, I believe it is better to focus on having a plan prescribes your philosophy of how decisions ought to be made.

In Arizona, a Medical Power of Attorney has additional requirements that consider civil liberties if the maker is to be confined as part of the treatment plan. Those precautions may be included in the health care power of attorney or a different document.

A Living Will does not appoint an Agent but rather declares what type of treatment you want in the event of your imminent death if you are in a persistent or permanent vegetative state, or you have a terminal illness, or incurable disease. Most often the living will declares that you do not want to artificially prolong your life or to receive life sustaining treatment, beyond comfort care, that serves only to prolong the moment of your death. Whether one of those conditions exists is made as you indicate, usually by one or two physicians that have examined you.

Courtesy of a colleague, I have collected living wills that have been used by clients of different religious persuasions which incorporate tenets of their faith into the decision making process.

A Living Will is not to be confused with a “do not resuscitate” or a prehospital DNR designation which in Arizona must be reviewed with and signed by your physician, be on orange paper, in letter or wallet size and plainly visible to emergency medical personnel. With the proper form, you may also wear a bracelet that meets the requirements of ARS §36-3251.

Arizona has statutory forms for each of these documents and you can find the forms on the Attorney General’s website along with a 10 minute video that explains their use. The Arizona Secretary of State provides a registry where you can maintain your current documents to be retrieved when needed. [The information in this paragraph is provided as a public service and should not be considered legal advice nor imply that I endorse substituting generic internet documents in place of sound legal advice and custom prepared documents tailored to your individual needs]

And finally, Arizona residents may designate another person as the temporary guardian for their minor children or wards under a guardianship for up to 6 months at a time.

The “magic” of any of these important documents is that they accurately what you want, who you want to act for you if you are unable to act for yourself, and be written in plain enough language that the third party provider will understand what it is and act in accordance with your intentions.

I would be honored to have the opportunity to discuss your emergency planning intentions and your estate planning needs. Please call and make an appointment to see me.

Posted in Health Care, Uncategorized on November 21st, 2011 · Comments Off on Health Care Powers of Attorney in a Nutshell

Powers of Attorney, the most common of estate planning tools, are parceled out by estate planning attorneys like aspirin, but they seldom work when needed. Here’s why –

Generic Powers of Attorney will work very well for a large variety of purposes that are seldom encountered, but they usually won’t work well in the most commonly needed situations.

Powers of Attorney are designed to transfer authority to a trusted Agent to deal with a Principal’s assets at critical times when the Principal is unavailable. However, more and more banks refuse to accept a Power of Attorney for a variety of reasons. A common reason is that the power of attorney is “stale” which used to mean too old, but now that is usually interpreted by banks to mean more than 6 months old. Most national and regional banks require the power of attorney to be on the bank’s own form and recently updated – a concept contrary to the intended purpose of a general durable power.

Whatever the reason, the result is the same, at the critical time when the Agent must act, the bank won’t allow it and the family must pursue more expensive alternatives to achieve the intended purpose of having the Principal’s cash available during the stressful time.

I believe the bank’s refusal to act often arises because the bank employee is either too inexperienced to understand the legal impact of the document they are given or too disinterested in helping their customer do something that is beyond the employee’s knowledge or experience. Occasionally, the bank employee will call their legal department and get advice from someone just as inexperienced, ignorant of local laws and customs, or too busy to help.

However, I also believe the bank’s come by their policy honestly. Unlike California, Arizona has no law that imposes a duty to accept a power of attorney and a financial penalty if a third party refuses to act upon a proper power of attorney that causes financial damage to the Principal.

As a result of all these issues, I know I can do a better job of preparing my clients for emergencies by valuable and effective counseling rather than prescribing power of attorney placebos that won’t be effective when the crisis arises.

Making sure that I am providing my clients legal advice that works is a fundamental philosophy of my practice. If you want to be prepared in case of a life crisis or just the normal advanced aging process, call me. I’ll provide you with documents that work and teach you how to implement a successful and anxiety reducing strategy that balances your personal relationships, your intentions, and your needs.

It has truly been my pleasure to work with Mark Bregman, Lisa Godfrey, Christina DuBois over many years. They are professional, responsive, and approachable. Their website is an excellent source of information.

Disclaimer

Viewing this website does not create an attorney/client relationship. The material contained herein is general legal information and not advice. You should consult an attorney admitted in your jurisdiction regarding your specific legal matter. The lawyers in this firm are admitted to practice law only in Arizona.